Influences
by Organization III
Summary: Hayner, Pence, and Olette have nothing to do, and it's a long summer. When they decide to explore the Old Mansion, they find a few things more than what they were expecting. In the end, the summer is a bit more exiting that they imagined it would be.
1. Discovery, part 1

It was the Usual Spot at high noon. Sultry, hot wind swept in through the open beams that made up the ceiling and out under the maroon sheet which was masquerading as a door. A box in the corner, which had been converted into a trash can, was overflowing with sea-salt ice cream wrappers, and the cash box's open drawer was empty.

"Hayner," a brown haired girl in the corner panted, "it's really hot."

"Duh," Hayner muttered from his spot on the ground. "We all know that." The blond boy had taken off his token vest and had rolled up his camouflage pants in an attempt to forget what he had just pointed out was impossible to ignore.

Only one person in the room seemed unbothered by the heat. "If you two are so hot, why not ride on the train? The town line is still free, and you can put up the windows to catch the wind."

Olette glared at her friend. "That would be a great idea, Pence, if I could get up. How _do_ you keep on going like that?"

Pence looked up from the book he was reading and grinned. "It's a talent."

On the floor, Hayner was getting impatient. "Pence had a good idea, Olette. I vote we go and think about what to do after that."

"Hayner. I'm really too hot to move."

Hayner frowned and jumped up in that energetic way of his. "Not buts! Pence, let us carry the lady to the station."

Pence smiled again and nodded, tucking his book under his (remarkably long sleeved) arm. Olette gave the surrounding world angry glares. At the point where both her friends were tugging on her arms, though, she gave in. "Fine," the girl snapped. "I hope this is a good idea."

Pence shrugged. "Doesn't matter either way. Seifer was saying that he'd be along to 'check up on us,' as summer's just starting. It would be best to be away."

"I really hate that guy," Hayner muttered as the trio walked out the doorway.

"We noticed," Pence and Olette said at once.

"What?" Hayner said defensively. "Don't you guys?"

"Sure," Pence replied automatically as he turned the corner and headed for the Tram Common. "But I'd rather back you up than fight him myself."

Olette nodded, a grim look on her face. For a while, the three walked in silence. Posters proclaiming the upcoming Struggle match were plastered on every wall. People walked at a sluggish pace as the heat danced in waves across the streets. After a while, even the walking ceased and Olette stopped in the shade of an overhanging. No one protested, so she sat down.

"I've thought about our options," Pence said after a while. "The first is that we go to the trail station as planned. It would probably take us fifteen minutes to get there, and that's in the boiling hot sun. Second option is that we head to the tunnels. It's like a cave down there, as you both know. Nice and stable, all year 'round."

At this point, Olette looked up, while Hayner put his hands on the wall he was leaning against, ready to spring up.

"One deterrent from going there is that most everyone would think of that, including Seifer." Pence sighed. "As we don't want to go home, one of the best placed I can think of going would be the forest."

Hayner got up slowly. "We haven't been there for a while."

"A few months," Olette agreed, slowly letting go the idea of the tunnels.

"Let's go," Hayner said resolutely. "I want to get _somewhere._"

Pence laughed. "You always do. Either way, I gotta' agree. It would be the best place for not getting interrupted and staying cool at the same time."

"Then let's _go_!" Hayner insisted.

Olette gave a brief smile. "Okay, then."

The forest wasn't far away. There was a swift couple minute walk until the friends came to a large gap in the town wall. Cool and defiantly green smells wafted from the hole, as if it were trying to become a separate world. For some purposes, it had. And old smell lingered in the area, the plants shifted rather unwillingly to one's foot, and for the most part, the only sound was the wind in the trees. However, the best thing was—

"It's cool," Olette sighed, sinking onto the ground and becoming surrounded by the still dewy undergrowth.

Pence looked back at the first they had entered through. "Going a little further might be best," he said. "Come on, please?"

Olette yawned. "After this, when you let me sit down, I'm staying."

Hayner nodded reluctantly. "Fine. How about we go as far as the Old Mansion?"

Pence nodded and Olette yawned again. "Sure. Fine. I just want to cool off." The girl got up slowly and began to walk off in the direction o the mansion, her face still pink from the heat.

Hayner shook his head and smiled. Pence paused before jogging after him. "Hey! You know what I think? I think we should plan what to do this summer."

Hayner waited as Pence caught up. "We could do what we've done every summer since we met."

"Sit around and calculate how much money we need for more ice cream?" Pence stuck out his tongue in protest. "No thanks."

Hayner looked up. "The mansion is just up ahead—but about thinking stuff up, what, do you have an idea?"

Pence closed his eyes and laughed, half coughing at the same time. "…I was hoping you'd have some."

"I have an idea," Olette said from where she had slumped down at the edge of the clearing. "You could shut up, cool down, and listen to the forest for ten minutes."

"Fine," Pence mouthed, smiling.

The forest was quiet. Light bounced off the white walls surrounding the Old Mansion and onto the undergrowth, giving the light just the right quality to be surreal. The remnants of a fountain outside the gates reminded on of the rainbows that would've been surrounding it in it's prime, water sprinkling high over the top, to be barely caught in the basin below. On the other side of the gate, the ruined pillars were only sad remnants of what there used to be. The parts least touched by dirt and grime shone vaguely white and the bases of the pillars projected enough to be sat upon. However, one of the most entrancing things about the Old Mansion lay almost out of view. Obscured by gates and ruined marble, there was the front door. The twin doors were high and lovely; the handles were ornate, yet tarnished. It gave off the sense of old things like nothing else in the town.

Hayner leaned back against the tree the trio was resting beneath. He gave a slight sigh. "It's a beautiful day."

Pence slapped his book shut. Completely ignoring Hayner, he looked over the boy to where Olette was sitting. "How are you doing now?"

"Better," Olette said in a surprisingly agreeable tone. "I doubt I would stand well to more heat, though. Today's not an 'under the sun' day."

"No," Pence agreed slowly.

Hayner frowned. "So, supposing we had to stay out of the sun all day," he said, "What will we do?"

Olette looked up and around. "We've never been inside the Mansion."

"You're right," Pence nodded. "Now that I think about it, we've only been up to its doors. Never inside."

"There doesn't look to be many holes in the roof, either," Hayner added in an offhand way. "It wouldn't have the sunshine for the Lady Olette."

Olette smiled. "I think we know the next thing on our agenda, then." She stayed sitting for a moment, then got up. Hayner swiftly followed her lead, as did Pence, in a more casual manner.

The trio made their way up to the rubble of the fountain and Olette commented that it could use some repair. A little ways further and Pence helped Hayner open the large iron gate. It creaked loudly in protest before slowly swinging open. Within a moment, Hayner was walking through the courtyard to the large front doors. Pence paused, then dug in his pocket and produced a camera. Right as Hayner was about to tug on the handles, Pence took a shot. He gave a smile and walked up to veranda, where Hayner was grating one of the doors open. Then, in a shower of dust and high pitched squealing, the doors were flung open, and the three children gave gasps.

(So. Rain here. I can only hope you like this story. If you don't, that's all right. I'm writing it for practice, for happiness, and for exploration. For exploration, you say? Yeah, for exploration. I want to see where this can take me and I want to see what stories I can come up with. Stretch my mind. You know, that sort of stuff. I like Twilight Town and its characters. I think it's awesome. It deserves to be written about and have stories devoted to it.

I'm simply writing, here. Thanks for your time.)


	2. Discovery, part 2

"It's so… large," Olette said at last.

"I bet we could spend all day here," Hayner grinned, already thinking of the things they _could_ do.

Pence took another picture. "Let's look around. Maybe robbers lived here or something."

Olette glanced at her friend, a skeptical smile on her face. "I doubt it. But maybe we'll find some interesting things."

"Well, at least we won't be sitting around," Hayner muttered.

"So," Olette said happily, "Which door should we try first? That one on the left looks interesting, and there's no rubble in from of it." The girl talked up to the door and tried the doorknob tentatively. The door swung open to reveal a rather trashed dining hall. The table in the center was split in two and the few pictures that had been on the wall seemed to been torn down, though not damaged too severely. Olette walked in, a sad look on her face. "I wonder what happened."

"Vandals," Hayner replied immediately.

"You really think that people would simply want to tear this place apart?" Olette sighed and shook her head. "I guess there's no telling what people will do."

"Riiight," Hayner laughed. "I bet they were looking for something. With a place as ritzy as this, probably money."

"Or to murder someone," Pence smiled as he came into the room. He calmly took a picture, this one of the table.

"Murders." Olette put her hands on her hips. "I can see it now. It wasn't just a murder, it was for a _ransom_. You really are random, Pence."

"I try to be." The boy nodded and walked out of the room, finding to be of no further interest.

Olette came back to the entrance of the dining room, then stopped. "I guess we can come back later…"

Hayner smiled. "I guess so, but there's not much to see here."

"True." Olette looked across the foyer tentatively. "Where next? I want to keep on moving. What about the garden or something?"

Hayner screwed up his face. "Nah. What about the room over there?" He pointed to the room Olette had noted as rubble covered.

"That might take a lot of work," Olette said in an unsure manner.

"Of course!" Hayner replied enthusiastically.

And then, from across the room—"What'cha guys plotting?"

"Your demise, Pence," Hayner laughed. "Help me get all this junk out of the way." Pence nodded agreeably and Olette sighed.

Thirty minutes later, most of the debris had been moved aside. There was silence as all three friends panted and tested on the floor. Eventually, Pence spoke.

"So who's gonna' open the door?"

"I will," Hayner volunteered. He sighed, stretched, and yawned, then put his hand on the doorknob. "Here we go." The door, for inside information, was supposed to swing inward. However, about a foot into opening, it became stuck.

"What's the problem?" asked Pence.

"Something's blocking the door," Hayner grunted.

"Well, don't push too hard. See if you can reach around and push on the item blocking it. Maybe it'll move out of the way."

"Gee, thanks." Hayner stuck his arm behind the door and felt around. Touching something hard, he gave it a shove and immediately fell on his face as the door swung wide.

"What happened?" Olette asked worriedly as she helped Hayner to his feet.

The boy shrugged. "Felt like some sort of a cart. Pushing it from the door was probably the wrong sort of way. I dunno. I pushed it, it rolled away."

"And the falling?" Pence asked grinning.

"I was leaning on the door." Hayner brushed himself off indignantly. "You would've been too, if you had done it. What's inside, then?"

Olette peeked inside the room, then turned back to her companions, an odd look on her face. Hayner walked over and looked inside, as well.

"I'm guessing there's a reason a portable clothes rack was propped up against a door to a ballroom," Pence said after he had gotten his look, as well.

Olette stepped nervously into the room and walked over to the rack. She fingered the clothes lightly. "Black robes with metal dangles," she said at last. "They aren't that old and all of them have major spills on them. Like someone didn't do the washing." She tsk-tsked lightly under her breath.

Hayner stepped inside, then began coughing. "It's pretty dusty in here, you guys. There's nothing interesting, anyway. Let's get out."

Pence squeezed in the opening and shook his head. "Wait a moment, I want to take some pictures for evidence."

Hayner leaned against one ornate wall. "Evidence? For what? That this place seriously needs a cleaning? You're just wasting film."

Pence crossed his arms. "I have no idea. I want pictures. I can paste them on my bedroom wall. Why do you care?"

Hayner leaned forward. "I just don't think it's worth it, that's all."

Olette smiled. _Boys. _"Guys, these robes are interesting, right?"

"Yeah, sort of…" Hayner trailed off with an indifferent air. Pence looked over and nodded.

"Interesting enough to take a picture. Smile!" The boy grinned and took a picture as Olette jumped. "This'll be a good memory, don't you think?"

Olette crossed her arms. "I'll look like a doofus. Pence, what's your idea with that camera, anyway?"

Pence spread his arms wide and sighed dramatically. "It's for the sake of science!"

"Taking pictures of me near dirty black robes. Yeah, that's real science for you."

Hayner straightened. "Yeah, well, let's get going. It's all funny, but there's the whole upstairs waiting."

Olette nodded. "Whatever you say, Hayner. Come on, Pence."

Pence frowned and looked at the room. As the others left, he snapped a couple quick pictures, then ran out the door after them.

Upstairs found the trio in a white room. Everything was white, from the walls to the table, except for several pictures taped neatly to the wall. The ceiling was high and the large windows were broken only in a couple panes. It was a timeless room, an unhappy room. The pictures on the walls were crayoned in. It seemed to Olette that if she touched them, they would shatter in the same way the windows had done. The girl sighed and stayed a reverent distance from them.

Pence carefully took photographs of each picture on the wall, while Hayner supplied all commentary.

"It's an anthropomorphic dog, a duck, and a boy. What's with these pictures? And here, a red spiky guy in one of those cloaks, almost. Speaking of similarities, who would paint a room so suddenly white in a place like this? It doesn't make sense. And white flowers. They have to be glass or something, because there's dust everywhere and they would've died otherwise. This is a really creepy room."

Olette sighed. "I don't know about that. I think it's rather nice. A little touch up here and there and it would be a perfect haven from all the rest of this dark, spidery mansion. Don't you think so, Pence?"

Pence shrugged silently. Olette continued.

"I mean… that ballroom was nice, too. With those large windows on the sides and the painted ceiling, but this room is rather refreshing after all that. If you added a little color to the table, it seems it would reflect all around here and light it right up. The dawn would be rather pretty."

Hayner stared at the girl, nodding, while obviously not understanding a word she was saying. "Riight. I think we've seen enough of this place. Let's go."

"You always want to keep on moving, don't you?" Olette muttered crossly. "Maybe I could just stay here."

Pence shook his head. "No, we should probably stick together."

Hayner laughed. "What, are you scared?"

"No." Pence crossed his arms. "This place just is better enjoyed with three."

Olette raised an eyebrow. "Right… I guess I'll be able to come around again once we've seen the whole place, right, Hayner?"

"I wasn't thinking that we wou—"

"_Right,_ Hayner?"

Hayner winced. "Of course, dear lady Olette. Let's just get going."

"All right." Olette ran lightly over to the door and waved as she turned around briefly. "Bye, little room!"

Pence was the last person out of the room, once again, as he took another picture of the empty room. He patted his camera smugly as he left.

The trio meandered around the upper balcony until coming to the last visible door. Olette smiled faintly. "I was almost hoping that this would never end. I guess this'll be the last room. I wonder what's in it…"

The door opened slowly. And as the Library stretched open for all to see, Olette gave a disappointed sigh. "There's nothing. I guess I shouldn't have expected anything."

Pence shrugged. "Those other rooms were interesting. And anyway, there's a paper over on this table, see? Just like the papers in that white room."

Olette looked over at Pence. "What do you mean, white room?"

"Well," Pence said unsurely, "I'm talking about the room we just visited. That white room covered in papers."

Olette frowned. "The room we visited last was that empty ballroom."

Pence looked down at his camera and . "Have it your way." The boy looked down at the paper and smiled at the intricate design. "This is pretty neat over here, Olette, come look."

Olette walked over, Hayner uninterestedly behind her. She gave a double take as she looked at the table. "It does look like that's only half of the emblem on the paper, don't you think?"

Hayner spared a glance down at the table. "Yes, my Lady. Now please let's _go_."

Olette doodled around with her finger as if to make the table look like the paper. "There're a few books here we might take… but…"

Pence stepped back from the table and began to edge away, looking at the floor. "Run. Towards the door. Now."

Hayner glanced quickly at the floor. "What did you DO, Pence?"

"I didn't do anything," Pence frowned as he tensed against the doorframe.

Hayner grabbed Olette's wrist and pulled her away from the table with a jerk. The girl gave a stunned rebuttal and clamped her fingers down on his in fright when the floor suddenly disappeared in front of them. "What in the world…?" the three children gasped.

This house was strange. But there was nothing more surprising that this.

* * *

Yanno what? I'm updating this because I can. XD ...let's be hoping that I can get another part out. ...sometime. Anyway. 


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